Outcast - Chapter 2
#2 of Outcast Dalan should be dead, but Fate intervenes
Chapter 2 I never gave it much thought back then, but it seems strange to me now that no one came to my aid that night. Many Clansmen - some of them seasoned fighters - were still in the building, yet no one ever came. Had I known then what I know now, it wouldn't have surprised me so much. But back then, I was far too preoccupied with staying alive to take my surroundings into account. I should have died that night...yet my eyes found a reason to open once more. They would have beheld the green fields of P'ou Lan, the paradise that awaits all Clansmen. I should have been staring into the muzzles of my ancestors, who were to welcome me with open arms. However, when my eyes opened I saw nothing...well...nothing in focus, anyway. I blinked several times to try and clear the cobwebs out of my head, and after several minutes my surroundings became more recognizable if not familiar. I was in a room of some sort...not my bedroom, though; too small. The room was dimly lit by a few candles, which bathed it in a golden glow. I felt thankful for that, as anything brighter would have probably scarred my retinas for life. My nose could make out the strong scent of ishia in the air. It reminded me of the days our Clan attended services at the temple on our estate grounds. Once per week, the High Priest of Ke'an would grace us with his presence and lead us in praise to our adopted Patron. The temple was often thick with the smell of ishia, which is said to help calm one's mind and soul. I had to admit, smelling it in that room went a long way to easing my growing curiosity about my situation. Underneath the calming scent from the candles, though, I could also smell the antiseptic and organic scents found only in a medical facility of some sort. No other place in the world, or even many worlds, can duplicate an odour like that. My right ear twitched and instinctively turned towards the sound of the heart monitor, steadily beeping away, telling everyone that somehow, for some reason only a Divine being could answer, I'd survived. Gods...I was alive. I tried to turn my head, but the muscles in my neck were so stiff it hurt to do so. Not expecting the pain from the effort I let out a small whimper and shut my eyes tightly to ride it out. However, when I heard the gasp, the pain in my neck faded away, and I forced my eyes back open. Have you ever been awakened from a sleep so deeply, that even though your eyes are open, your ears are working, and you can talk, your brain just doesn't register who it is you're talking to? That's exactly how I felt when her face filled my vision. I could hear her voice...I could see her with absolute clarity, and I could sense the released tension in the way she moved and spoke...but I didn't recognize her. I tried to concentrate, but my mind drew a complete and utter blank. "Dalan?" she asked. "Don't...don't you recognize me? It's me...your mother." Mother... It felt like something inside my mind had suddenly burst open. That last mental barrier finally collapsed and my conscious mind was suddenly deluged with memories. Yes, I had a mother...and a father...grandparents...brothers...sisters...I had a family. No, it was more than a family, wasn't it? Yes...it was a Clan...an important Clan at that. We'd done something just recently too, hadn't we? Yes, father had won something...something important...something he entrusted to...to... Me? My mind suddenly flashed to that night. Though my eyes were open I could no longer see Mother, or even the hospital room in which I was. All I could see were the four who'd chased me down...hunted me like I was some kind of prey. One of them held their sword high in the air and brought it down on me. I felt the steel tip tear through my skin and I screamed in pain. "Doctor...Quickly!" I began thrashing about like a fish landed on the ground. I wanted to roll away before the next strike but I couldn't. The second blade cut into me and I screamed again. Volcanoes of pain erupted all over my body and despite my best efforts I was helpless to stop their onslaught...their desecration of my body, allowing me to survive as a mutilated cripple rather than killing me outright. I screamed and screamed as they continued to hack away at me, reducing me to nothing but carved meat and exposed bone. I felt something press on my neck, followed by a little pinprick as the sedative was delivered into my bloodstream. All at once, it became harder and harder to fight. My vision grew spotty yet again as I felt the drug work its way through me, deadening my muscles and encouraging my brain to shut down once more. My breathing returned to normal and the last thing I saw was my mother staring at me with a look of concern and joy on her face. "It's all right, my son," she choked. "Sleep for now...it's all right." * * * I don't know how much time passed before my eyes opened again...only that this time everything seemed clearer than before. I still had questions...lots of questions...but for now I knew I was safe, and above all, alive. I tried to move my head again, this time more slowly than before. The stiffness was still there, but now that I was expecting it I could work through the pain and make my neck work. Still, it was an effort, and I couldn't help but let a small moan escape my throat. Almost immediately I felt a gentle hand stroke behind my ears. I saw my mother sitting there, tears streaming down her face, but smiling. It was at the same time the single most heartbreaking - and heart-warming - thing I'd ever seen. "Welcome back," she said softly. I tried to say something, but she put a finger to my lips and then reached for a cup of water. She guided the straw to my mouth and I sipped at it slowly. Slow as I was, I still couldn't help but cough almost violently. She steadied me as best she could until my coughing fit passed and I could breathe normally again. "Where...where am I?" I finally asked, barely realizing that those were the first words I'd spoken since the attack. "You're in the hospital, Dalan," she said softly. Her tender hand found its way back to behind my ear. "A lot has happened to you, son...it will...take time to explain it all." I could feel a tear come to my eye and I tried to wipe it away...it was then that I realized that I couldn't move. I tried to will my hand to move, but it was no use. I could feel my heart beginning to beat faster and my breathing grow more panicked. "I...I can't move," I said. I felt myself starting to shake again...well, the parts of me that would...but instead of calling for the doctor Mother merely placed her hand directly on my chest. "Calm yourself," she said sternly. "The answers will come, son, but you must stay calm." Y'know, there's something about a mother's snarl that can change your attitude in a heartbeat. I always remembered Mother as someone you could go to with any problem, from a bump or scrape to your older sister pulling out half your whiskers. But gods be with you should you draw her ire...I remember times when even Father backed down from her. So when she told me to calm down I did my best to comply, though even her authority nearly paled against the rising panic in me. Finally I stopped shaking, and though I was still breathing hard, Mother took her hand from my chest and sat back down. "Your limbs were badly damaged," she said. "When Nerel found you, he feared you were dead, but saw you were still breathing. He bundled you up as best he could and got you here as fast as he dared." She continued to stroke behind my ears, which helped to calm my breathing a bit. "None of us will ever forget what he did for you, and neither should you." Forget? How could I ever forget the man who saved my life? Nerel had always been that voice of clarity to my confused mind when I was a cub. It wasn't as though he would sit me down and lecture me on things...it was more like the odd bit of advice here and there...something you'd keep in the back of your mind until the time was right to act on it. Having served our Clan for so long, Nerel probably knew more about its history than even Grandfather did. In truth, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if, from time to time, our wise Elder consulted his driver on ways to handle the goings on in the Clans. I digress... "As to your limbs," Mother continued. "It...it has taken time to repair them, son...and much still needs to be done before you can leave here." "Time...how much time?" I could see Mother struggling with the answer and I could feel my fear beginning to rise once more. "Mother?" "Dalan," she began. "You've been here for...a year." "A...a year?" At first I thought she was joking, but when she pulled the covers down to show me my arms it was proof enough. While later I would find dozens of ragged scars underneath my fur, I could still see that they were healed. Had my attack only occurred mere hours ago, they'd still be a mess of slashed flesh and covered in blood-soaked bandages. No...what she'd said had to be the truth...it was the only logical explanation. I was just about to say something when I noticed two people entering the room. Both of them - one a jaguar and the other a cheetah - were wearing the white coats so synonymous with anyone in the medical profession. From the looks on their muzzles, I could only assume that these two were the ones responsible for keeping me alive all this time. "Ah," said the cheetah. "I see the sedative's finally worn off. I trust this time your wake-up was a little less shocking?" I nodded dumbly. "Who are you?" The cheetah bowed slightly. "My name is Dr. Karl Sheck, and this is Dr. Harus Tokuru." The jaguar also bowed. "They are the ones who repaired your limbs," said mother, greeting the pair with a smile and a nod. "Repaired?" I asked. "Then...why can't I..." "The tendons that held your muscles to your skeleton were severed," said Dr. Tokuru. He produced a datapad from his coat and activated it. It projected a holographic image of what looked like an arm, showing the muscle and how it was connected to the bone. "Unfortunately, a significant percentage of your muscles were also damaged beyond repair." He tapped a few times on the pad, and the image changed to what I could only assume my arms must have looked like. The muscle tissue appeared rotted...decayed almost. "Normally, protocol dictates that we amputate the damaged limbs and replace them with prosthetics." I tensed. "However, Dr. Sheck offered an alternative." "I've been studying medicine on Earth for several years," said the cheetah. "And I must say their sense of vanity is most fascinating. Instead of such a barbaric procedure," said the cheetah, "I suggested that the damaged portions of your muscles be replaced with cybernetic implants." Dr. Tokuru tapped a few more keys on his pad and the image shifted again, this time to what looked like a white liquid being injected into the arm and the liquid coating the damaged tissue. "Nanobots were injected into your arms and legs," Dr. Sheck explained. "Once inside they began rebuilding any damaged muscle tissue, ligaments, tendons...whatever was required to restore your limbs to what they once were. When the repairs were completed, the implants were attached to the muscles, thereby completing the operation." The image finally showed the finished result, which appeared as normal as the initial image, save for several muscle striations appearing white instead of red. "It's a very delicate operation but the end result far surpasses what limited mobility prosthetics could have given you." I looked at my mother, a pleading look in my eyes. I mean it was all well and good that I was whole, but since when did aesthetics play a part in whether or not a person could move? Was I to be the resident store manikin now, to be put into different poses by my sisters? Was I some real-life doll? "You've probably noticed that you cannot move," said Dr. Tokuru, to which I nodded. "That's because the implants required you to be conscious in order for them to begin calibrating. As we speak, they are synchronizing to your own biorhythms and neural pathways. It will take a day or two, but you will be able to move again." I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear that. The thought of being confined to a hover-chair for the rest of my life, unable to do anything for myself was terrifying. As relieved as I was at this news, I could see that Dr. Tokuru wasn't quite finished what he had to say. "However," he said, "you should be aware that this is only the first step in your recovery. After so long in a comatose state, your other muscles have atrophied to the strength of a newborn kitten. I am recommending that you remain here to undergo physical rehabilitation until you're up and about on your own." He looked at my mother. "Family is always invited to attend and participate, of course." "We will," she said. I had to admit at that moment, I thought everything was going to be all right. Any concerns I had about the Kumal, or the Ka'al P'ack, or anything else connected to that night vanished with the thought of seeing my family again. Don't get me wrong; seeing my mother again was a gift from the Patrons, but I wanted to see the rest of them...no matter what. Mother seemed to notice the growing excitement in me and bid the doctors to leave us in peace for the time being. When they had left, she turned to me. "I can see the questions forming in your mind, son," she said. "And I know exactly what you want to ask. But you shouldn't worry so. Once I've let everyone else know you're awake, you'll have more attention than you'll know what to do with." Her smile was sincere...so much so that I almost overlooked the pensive look in her eyes. She was hiding something from me, and as happy as she was that I was still alive, her happiness seemed darkened somehow by something. I realized then that my losing the Ka'al P'ack had caused a stir amongst the Clans. I just had no idea how deep that stirring ran...and what it would cost... * * * We talked for hours...Mother brought me up to date on the goings on in our family and I lay there, hanging on her every word. I learned that Genna, my baby sister, had been born the very night both Father and I entered the hospital. Caring for her had helped everyone deal with my situation a lot better over the year. Tila, my only older sibling, had probably done the most to help Mother with Genna, and that didn't really surprise me. Tila always wanted a family of her own, and I imagine taking care of her baby sister was something she considered good practice for when she finally married. Of course, according to Mother, she had yet to be in a relationship. My two brothers, Richard and Alexander had matured a lot over the year...I suppose having a near-dead brother in the hospital does that to someone. There had been tense times as their frustration over what happened to me got the better of them, but it never lasted. According to Mother, Father was always there to calm their outbursts and reassure them that things would get better. I only wish he'd been right. The rest of the family had fared well over this time. Grandfather was still the same wise Elder he'd always been, and my dear Grandmother was constantly by his side. My younger sister, Mkio, was growing up fast as well; she was nearly as tall as Alexander, despite the 3 year age difference in favour of my brother. I also learned that, when they could, my friends had also come to see me all this time. My non-Clan friends seemed to be the most frequent visitors, and that didn't really surprise me. Clan life was nothing if not regimented. Learning that my fellow Clansmen had little time to check up on me was less of a surprise and more of an expectation. Still, any contact they'd made with me was more than appreciated. We talked long into the night...long past when any sane being was still awake, and I could see Mother beginning to fade. I didn't want to try and sleep for fear of another year going by, but she assured me that she would wake me in the morning. She leaned down and kissed me on the forehead before bidding me a good night and moving towards one of the more comfortable lounging chairs to sleep. Though my eyes closed, I wasn't tired...well, not mentally, anyway. Tomorrow was going to be the day I returned to life as I knew it. I knew the road ahead was going to be tough, and that it would take equal measures of time, pain, and patience before I could regain even my most basic abilities, but at that moment I didn't care. After all, I'd cheated Death Himself...I'd been saved from my own murder, and soon my life could carry on just as it had before. Oh...had I only known what kind of cruel trick the Patrons had in store for me then...perhaps I would have ended my own life right there and then... * * *